


Whumptober 2020 Collection

by sodaschemes



Category: Lego Ninjago, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Multi, Violence, Whump, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-01-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 15:14:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 10,942
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28976451
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sodaschemes/pseuds/sodaschemes
Summary: A collection of the fics I wrote for Whumptober 2020! Some days will be missing, not because I didn't do them, but because they're part of larger works and will be included in other places. Specific warnings will come at the beginning of each chapter.
Relationships: Nya/Jay Walker
Comments: 3
Kudos: 23





	1. Day 4: Running Out of Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole falls. Death is inevitable. The closer he gets to the ground, the more he comes to terms with it.  
> Alternate Prompt: Falling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes place during season 10!  
> Trigger Warnings: death

The only thing keeping Cole from his impending doom was the fact that his leg was caught up in the ladder. He twisted and jerked, trying to climb up, but it was no use.

He cried out as his body was scraped across the top of the news station building. Fuck fuck fuck concrete burns were _so_ much worse than carpet burns. Oh holy fucking shit.

“Hang on, Cole!” Jay yelled, reaching for him.

“I’ve got it!” Cole said back, finally managing to reach up and grab one of the rungs of the ladder. Oh, thank goodness.

He looked up. The ladder was hanging on by only one rope, and it was fraying.

He knew it was coming before it even happened.

The rope snapped.

His heart lurched, his body plummeted.

Jay’s scream rang out through his ears.

He was falling.

He was falling, falling, falling, faster and slower than he’d ever fallen before. He locked eyes with Jay. He didn’t have the strength to scream.

But Jay did, Jay was screaming his name, his eyes wide with terror. Cole had never seen him look so scared before.

And then the darkness obscured his vision, and his family was gone, and all he had left was clouds clouds clouds, and he couldn’t believe he had skipped out on visiting his dad last weekend. He could have gone, he _should_ have. It was stupid to skip out on it anyway.

But he had, and now he was never going to see his dad again, and oh, his dad’s heart was going to be absolutely broken. He should have gone to see him last weekend. 

He should have tried to repair their relationship a long time before he finally did. They could have had so much more time together.

One last thought struck him.

His father would be alone. But Cole wouldn’t be. His mom had been waiting for him for a long time. He would get to see her again.

He didn’t want to die.

But maybe it would be worth it, if he got to see her.


	2. Day 5: Where Do You Think You're Going?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Months after escaping from Prime Empire, Scott finds himself in Paris with none other than Unagami. It doesn't go well.  
> Prompt: On the Run

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is part of my Miraculous Ladybug crossover - which you can read all about at blursed-ninjago-ideas on tumblr - however, it's non-canon. All you need to know is that the ninja have been in Paris for a bit and have made some friends.  
> Trigger Warnings: death threats, violence, panic attacks

The years of his life Scott had lost to Prime Empire were hard to come to terms with. Every day he had been in there, he was well aware of the passage of time, but it was still the hardest thing he’d ever gone through.

Every day he had convinced himself that he would get out soon.

That first day, he was certain he’d be out by the end of the week. By the end of the week, he thought it couldn’t possibly be longer than a month.

It had gone on for years. Thirty, specifically.

Everyone he had ever known and loved had grieved and moved on. He had missed decades with them. His friends. His family. Everyone.

_ And it was all Unagami’s fault _ — right. Unagami was actually just a stupid little child who hadn’t really known what he was doing. He was supposed to be trying to get along with him, because he needed to be a role model or some shit.

Honestly, now that the kid wasn’t actively keeping him trapped inside a game for decades, he wasn’t all that bad. Sure, he could be a bit of a brat at times, but that was a phase that all children went through.

And  _ apparently _ , he lowkey — that was the word Jay liked to use, right? He was  _ so _ behind on the current slang —  _ idolized  _ Scott. Yeah, the child who’d been trying to turn him into a lifeless, numb, empty little energy cube for years and years and years, thought he was  _ cool _ . That was… something, he supposed.

He was mostly doing this because Jay had all but begged him to. Said it made him a good person and he needed to let go of his anger.

Scott didn’t know if he would call it anger. He couldn’t bring himself to  _ hate _ Unagami, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t a little… well… uncomfortable around him. Yeah, that was definitely the right word.

But that was dumb. That debacle was finally over, and even if the nightmares and trauma didn’t go away, it wasn’t like Unagami acted  _ malicious _ anymore. He wasn’t trying to  _ kill _ anyone anymore.

So what if every time Unagami did much of anything, Scott’s grip on whatever it may have been that he was holding tightened enough to break a bone? That wasn’t  _ that _ concerning. Everybody did that. Probably.

And hey, he could have had worse problems than scratching up his hands when he was nervous or anxious or really freaked out or really scared or flashing back to that cramped dark horrible nothingness when he was just lines of code trapped in a little energy cube with no way to get in or out or  _ anything _ — and, uh, everyone had a random bad dream once in awhile. Or every night.

But he could put that aside, because he was a mature adult.

So here he was, babysitting an arcade-game-turned-boy, who was surprisingly energetic and very bright-eyed. 

“When are the ninja coming back?” Unagami asked, popping up from behind the couch.

Scott barely suppressed a surprised curse. This kid was  _ way _ too light on his feet. “I don’t know,” he said, taking a deep breath to calm himself.

Unagami, unlike most kids would, actually accepted that as an answer and went back to his BorgPad, tapping away at the screen.

The thing was, nobody had seen the ninja in a few weeks, now. Scott was beginning to get concerned. After Lloyd had disappeared — which had been information divulged to Scott  _ privately _ by Jay, because they didn’t want the general public to know — the next few days had been spent in a raw panic. And then, total radio silence.

He hadn’t heard from the ninja since.

He hoped they were okay. He was a little too familiar with people disappearing only to never be heard from again. Well, not until  _ thirty years after the fact _ .

He wasn’t bitter, not at all.

“What are you doing, anyway?” Scott asked, trying to get his mind off the subject. He was supposed to be taking care of the kid for the day, he might as well have been  _ trying _ to make some sort of connection.

“Hacking the Hexagon!” Unagami said, looking up from his screen with a big smile.

Oh, that was nice — wait, what?

“ _ Excuse me _ ?” Scott asked, jumping over the back of the couch and crouching on the floor, where Unagami was sitting criss-cross-apple-sauce. Scott peered over his shoulder at the screen.

“If they didn’t want it hacked they shouldn’t have made it so easy,” Unagami shrugged.

Was it… was it  _ normal _ for a child to be hacking into government facilities from a BorgPad?

Scott was going to go out on a limb and say no. …It was probably just an AI thing? Yeah, it was probably fine.

He watched for a moment as Unagami’s fingers flew across the screen, lines in a language Scott didn’t understand everywhere. He’d never had the ambition to learn how to code.

But damn, back before Prime Empire, people had hardly even  _ dreamed _ of tech like this. 

It was kind of crazy.

Scott was going to be honest with himself. The BorgPad was cool. It had tons of features that were all put together onto one little device — texting  _ and _ pictures  _ and _ games  _ and _ social media  _ and _ more. It had  _ everything _ .

But at the end of the day, it was just another reminder that Scott had missed out on so much while he’d been trapped inside the game. 

Back in his day, people had been perfectly content with “low quality” arcade games and flip phones. But  _ now _ … well, people like Cyrus Borg were completely changing the world.

It was cool. But it stung.

“As long as you don’t get like, in trouble with the law or something. I don’t want Dyer buggin’.”

Unagami gave him a weird look, but slowly lowered his gaze back to the screen.

Right. People didn’t say that anymore, did they? His vocabulary was  _ really _ outdated.  _ He _ was really outdated.

He sighed, standing up and heading to the kitchen so he could make some tea. Jay had given him some, claiming it was really calming.

Scott could use a little of that right now.

The label was faded enough that it was basically unreadable. Scratch that, it was completely unreadable. Did tea expire…? Nah, Jay wouldn’t have given it to him if it was bad.

As the tea was brewing, Scott leaned against the counter, fiddling with his phone. It had been brand new technology at the time, and had been pretty expensive.

Now, according to Jay, it was “mega-outdated”. 

That hurt more than it should have. He remembered being  _ so excited _ about this thing, but now it was nothing compared to the technology of today.

“You want some tea?” Scott asked when it was done, going for a mug.

“What does it taste like?” Unagami asked, setting aside his tablet and coming over to observe the tea with interest. 

“Uhh… I dunno, haven’t tried it yet,” he shrugged.

“I think I would like some, please.”

“Yeah, sure.”

Scott went to pour it, but as he was doing so, he found his mind wandering to wondering where the ninja had disappeared to again. It was strange that they had just —

“Is that supposed to be happening?” Unagami asked.

Scott looked down at the tea, concerned to see a bright glow spilling from the kettle. “Uh…” before he could come up with a rational answer, it brightened, all but blinding the two as it took over the room.

When it faded, there was nothing left but a broken mug on the floor.

———

What the fuck?

What had just happened?

The last thing Scott remembered had been sitting in the kitchen making tea, but now… now he was outside, near some giant metal tower, in a place he absolutely did not recognize.

He didn’t recognize the place, but he  _ did _ recognize the feeling.

He was in a new realm.

The first thing he could feel was the panic.

Not again.  _ Fuck _ ! Not again. He couldn’t go through this another time, he couldn’t lose more of his life to a monster, he couldn’t — he couldn’t — he couldn’t breathe. He gripped the grass he was sitting on, practically hyperventilating.

“Scott? Are you alright?”

Oh  _ first master _ , Unagami was here too.

“Get  _ away _ from me!” he yelled, though he made no move to put distance between them. Instead, the little brat only came closer.

“You need to breathe.”

“I said _get_ _away_ —” Scott’s words died in his throat. Something was different. Something was wrong.

“ _ Captain Clockwork,”  _ a voice said, booming throughout his head.

“What’s going on?” Scott demanded.

“ _ I am Hawk Moth. I can feel your distress. The anger, the grief, all of it. You just want things to go back to the way they used to be, don’t you _ ?”

“Yes…” he found himself agreeing, nodding along.

“ _ I can help you with that. I can give you the power to take back your life. All I need in return is for you to retrieve two pieces of jewelry for me, called the Miraculous. Do we have a deal? _ ”

Scott didn’t even have to think twice. “Yes, Hawk Moth.”

——— 

Unagami was concerned.

Scott was freaking out, clearly on the verge of a panic attack, and nothing he was doing seemed to help. And then, out of nowhere, it just stopped.

And then Scott started talking to nobody, and  _ then _ his body, for the briefest of moments, was enveloped in a purple so dark it may as well have been black.

When it was gone, Scott looked different. He was wearing an outfit that could only be described as old-timey-steampunk. 

It wasn’t  _ that _ strange, considering that sort of stuff was perfectly normal in Prime Empire. Still, Unagami should probably make sure that Scott was okay.

“Scott?” he asked, stepping a little closer.

Scott glared at him dark enough to kill.

Wide-eyed, Unagami took a small step back. “Scott, what’s wrong? Who were you talking to? Is this a video game, like Prime Empire?”

“ _ You would just love that, wouldn’t you _ ?” Scott yelled. “ _ You would just love to ruin even more people’s lives! _ ”

“What?”

A ball of light burst into existence in Scott’s hand, which was closed tightly in a fist. He threw the light off to the side, launching at a huge television screen on the side of a building. Almost immediately, it turned into a box-style TV.

Scott smiled wickedly. “Oh, would you look at that? The power to downgrade tech. If I can do  _ that _ to a TV, I wonder what will happen to a  _ stupid. Little. Arcade game. _ ”

Unagami narrowly dodged a blast from Scott following those words. “Scott, stop! You’re — you’re not in your right mind!”

“ _ Oh, I’m in my right mind _ !” he screamed. “I’m _ finally  _ free _ ,  _ and what am I met with but a world that moved on without me?  _ You took away my life! _ ”

“Scott,  _ please _ , you are not thinking clearly!” Unagami said, desperate.

“Save it, you little brat! Now hold still so I can  _ kill you _ !”

Unagami tripped, falling back into the grass. He scrambled back, doing his best to get to his feet, but regardless, Scott had the upper hand. He was done for.

He squeezed his eyes shut, accepting the inevitable.

Suddenly, he was being lifted, and then he was in the air. What?

He opened his eyes.

“I’ve got you!” a girl dressed in red spandex with black polka dots all over it said.

“What’s going on?” Unagami asked.

The girl looked confused. “Uh…” they came to a stop on a rooftop. It was then that a boy dressed in what looked like a leather catsuit joined them, vaulting up with an infinitely long pole.

“How do you do, M’lady?” he asked, smiling at the girl.

“Not now, Chat. I just saved this kid from the latest akuma, but I don’t think he’s speaking French.”

“Language barrier powers?” Chat asked. “That’s a new one.”

“I don’t know, from what I could tell, the akuma was speaking in the same language as him.”

“What’s going on?” Unagami demanded. “What happened to Scott?”

Chat frowned. “It sounds kind of like Japanese. But like, not quite? It sounds like Japanese on drugs.”

The girl sighed. “Wonderful description, Chat.”

“Thanks! I try.”

“Wait, I’ve heard this before! It sounds like that language the ninja speak!” The girl said.

“Oh yeah! Maybe they’re from the same place?”

Unagami tuned out their rambling, glancing over the edge of the roof to see if he could still see Scott. Luckily, he couldn’t.

Or was that unlucky?

Scott was the only person he knew here, but at the same time, he’d lost his mind out of  _ nowhere _ . And now he was on some sort of evil… violent rampage… manhunt… chasing after him… well, that was uncomfortably familiar.

“Okay, well, our miraculous allows  _ him _ to understand  _ us _ , I wonder why it doesn’t work the other way?” Chat glanced at Unagami. “You  _ can _ understand us, right?”

Unagami gave a frustrated nod.

“Okay, well, do you know why that guy got akumatized?”

Unagami had absolutely no idea what that was, but it was clearly in reference to what had happened to Scott.

“I don’t think he does. We have to get back to fighting before this guy destroys half of Paris,” Chat said, tapping his wrist as if there was a watch there.

“ _ Come out, come out, wherever you are _ !” Scott yelled from the streets below.

“Oh, hey, that was French!” Chat said. “Akuma powers are awesome.”

The girl gave him an unimpressed frown.

Various balls of light were transforming technology into older versions of themselves left and right as Scott rampaged.

“ _ Shit _ , okay, Chat, can you drop him somewhere away from the akuma?”

“Sure thing Bugaboo!” Chat said with a wide grin. He held out a hand to Unagami. “Hold on tight, kid.”

———

Ladybug landed in front of the akuma gracefully, her yo-yo at her side.

“Ladybug, I presume,” the akuma said.

“That would be right.”

The akuma glared at her. “Look, I don’t particularly want to hurt you. Just hand over the earrings and the kid, and I’ll be on my way.”

“What do you want with him?” Ladybug asked, eyes narrowed. “What could he possibly have done?”

The akuma laughed, and it started low, but it quickly gained a touch of  _ psycho _ , edging on hysteria. “What  _ didn’t _ he do?” He yelled, his arms widely gesturing — though his right hand stayed tightly closed. That could be important. “He kept me trapped in a video game for  _ decades _ . He made me live every day in fear that it would be my last!  _ He ruined my life _ !  _ He took everything from me _ !”

Well… fuck.

That was actually a pretty valid reason to be upset with somebody. But how on earth had that happened in the first place? Well, the details didn’t matter. She had an akuma to fight.

Against all reason, Ladybug decided to try getting through to the poor guy. “You don’t have to do this! Hawk Moth is manipulating you!”

“ _ I don’t care _ !” He screamed. “ _ He made me into Captain Clockwork! He gave me the power to take back my life! _ ”

He threw a blast of energy at Ladybug, which she only barely managed to deflect with her yo-yo. It bounced back to what looked like a brand new car, which immediately turned into a station wagon.

Oh boy.

“Time has moved forward without me. I don’t fit into this world, so I’m gonna make this world fit  _ me _ !”

She needed to figure out what to break. Whatever he was holding, that  _ could _ be it.

Unceremoniously, Chat dropped from the sky, landing in a heap next to her.

“I did  _ not _ get that right…” he muttered, getting to his feet with some difficulty. “What’s the plan, M’lady?”

“I don’t know, but I think the akuma is in whatever he’s holding. We need to get him to drop it.”

“May I offer a distraction in these trying times?”

Ladybug smiled.

“Hey, the future isn’t all that bad!” Chat exclaimed, dramatically vaulting himself to be behind the akuma so that he had to turn around and his attention was off of Ladybug, while she quietly summoned her lucky charm.

“We’ve got video games! And bullet trains, and iPhones, and —  _ ooh _ , we’ve got anime! It still baffles me that people ever managed to live without anime. A tragedy, really.”

Captain Clockwork glared at him. “We  _ had _ video games and anime back in my day. It was  _ good enough _ , it didn’t have to  _ change _ !”

“That’s sort of the way of life, buddy,” Chat shrugged, batting away a blast with his baton.

“It shouldn’t be!  _ I shouldn’t have gotten left behind _ !” he screamed, sending blasts of energy one after the other at Chat.

“Left behind?” Chat asked, lowering his guard slightly when the akuma, breathing heavily, stopped firing.

“That  _ boy _ you stole away just a few minutes ago,” Captain Clockwork said, laughing hysterically. “He kept me  _ trapped inside a video game _ , for thirty years.  _ Thirty years _ ! It’s not fair!  _ It’s not fair! I’ll kill him _ !”

“How did a little boy trap you in a video game?” Chat asked, legitimately curious.

“ _ He is the game _ ! He ruled Prime Empire! He ruined my life!” 

Chat was regretting asking, because now the akuma was backing him into a corner, his fist glowing. He wasn’t sure he’d ever battled an akuma so full of pure  _ rage _ before.

Chat extended his baton, sweeping it under the akuma’s feet and knocking him to the ground.

“This is so cool!” Alya shouted from across the street, filming with her iPhone.

“ _ Alya _ ,” Nino all but begged. “We gotta get to safety!”

“But I’m getting some great footage on this thing!”

Captain Clockwork growled, blasting violently at the pair. Alya’s brand new,  _ expensive _ phone immediately reverted to a flip phone.

The way Alya screamed would have suggested someone had been murdered. “ _ No _ !” she shrieked, being dragged away by Nino.

“Phones don’t need to be able to record! Just use a fucking video camera!  _ They didn’t have to change it _ !” Captain Clockwork yelled, running after Alya.

That got the couple’s attention enough to start running.

Chat put himself between them, crying out when he intercepted a blast.

“Chat!” Ladybug yelled.

Chat grunted, rolling with great difficulty away from the akuma.

His baton immediately grew in length, turning into what looked like a perfectly regular, non-magical, old-fashioned baton.

“Oh fuck.”

“Hand over the ring and I won’t hurt you,” Captain Clockwork demanded.

“Sorry, I’ve got a contract,” Chat replied, using the baton as a sort of cane to help him get to his feet again.

He didn’t manage to dodge the next blast, which turned his magical very technologically advanced leather suit into a hoodie and a cheap pair of sweatpants. 

Panic gripped him, and he quickly went to feel for his mask. Oh, thank god, it was still there.

Captain Clockwork charged up another blast, but before he could use it, Ladybug grabbed Chat and swung her yo-yo, getting them both away and into a back alley.

“Are you okay, Kitty?” she asked, setting him down gently.

“I’m alright,” he affirmed. “I need to detransform, make sure Plagg is alright. Maybe when I retransform it’ll go back to normal?”

Ladybug purposefully turned around.

“Claws in,” he said.

Immediately, Ladybug could hear a low groan from her partner’s kwami.

“Here,” Chat muttered, presumably offering him some food.

“Thanks.  _ God  _ that really hurt…” Plagg muttered.

“ _ It did _ ?” Chat cried, worry seeping into his voice. “Are you okay? How can I help?”

“I’ll be fine, Kitten,” Plagg said, laughing somewhat through the now very obvious pain. “Just defeat this guy and you can buy me some extra nice cheese to make up for it.”

Chat laughed. “Sure thing Plagg. Claws out!”

Ladybug waited a moment, then turned back around. Luckily, Chat had been right, and his suit was back to normal. “Okay, so we’ve got my lucky charm, but I still don’t know how to use it. Did you learn anything about the akuma?”

“Well, apparently the kid he was trying to obliterate trapped him in a game for thirty years,” Chat shrugged. “I dunno if that’s important though.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard. He keeps screaming about it every chance he gets. But as long as we free the akuma, he’ll be fine. Did you happen to see what he was holding?”

“It looked kind of like a phone, but like, one of those really old flippy ones. Like the ones they used in High School Musical!”

Ladybug sighed. “Well, that’s something. Actually, my lucky charm is a flip phone.”

“That’s weird… think he’d like that?”

“Wait!  _ I have a plan _ .”

———

Meanwhile, Unagami was hiding behind a trashcan as Scott got closer and closer to his whereabouts. His heart was pounding loudly in his ears.

“ _ Unagami _ ,” Scott called out, his voice sickly sweet and too high in pitch. “Come out, come out wherever you are…”

Unagami held his breath, praying Scott didn’t find him.

“Isn’t it  _ ironic _ ?” Scott asked, something out of Unagmai’s sight crashing loudly. “The hunter becomes the prey. Bet you never thought you’d get retribution, huh?”

He hadn’t meant to ruin Scott’s life. He’d just been following his father’s instructions. He’d apologized. He thought Scott had forgiven him. He’d acted like he had.

Had he felt like this the whole time?

Angry and hurt and wanting to kill him?

And… was this how Scott had felt while trapped in Prime Empire?

Scared for his life, fearing every second that it could be his last? Keeping himself hidden away for years with the constant terror that he would be found?

The trashcan was thrown, and there was Scott.

“ _ Found you _ .”

“I’m sorry—” Unagami said.

“ _ Save it _ ! Sorry doesn’t make up for the lost time! Sorry doesn’t make up for the fear I lived in!  _ Sorry  _ doesn’t  _ fix things _ !”

He charged a blast.

Out of nowhere, a bright blue tornado threw Scott across the street.

It slowed to a stop, revealing none other than the blue ninja. “Unagami?” he said, bewildered. “How are you  _ here _ ?”

“ _ Why are you defending him _ ?” Scott screamed. “ _ He trapped you too! He took all of your friends! He hunted you down like a wild animal! Aren’t you  _ angry?”

“ _ Scott _ ? Jay cried, even more bewildered than before. “What the… wait, but Unagami is just a kid! Sure, he caused a lot of pain, but it wasn’t his fault! And he’s done all he can to make it right!”   
“That’s not good enough!”

“ _ Ice _ to see you!” Zane yelled, dropping down from the rooftop.

Scott growled, charging a blast of energy. “Just let me  _ kill _ the little brat! He’s not human! He’s not a person! What difference does it make?”

Unagami froze.

Scott… didn’t see him as a person? All this time?

He thought they had been  _ bonding _ . He had thought… well, he hadn’t thought they were  _ friends _ , exactly, but he had at least thought… 

It was true that he  _ wasn’t _ human, but Unagami had likened himself to Zane. They weren't human, but they were still  _ people _ . But that wasn’t how Scott saw it at all. And he had never known.

Zane screamed out as he was hit with a blast. The light encompassed him, and suddenly he was left with rusty copper skin.

Unagami’s eyes widened in horror.

“I — I — I — do not feel — Jay — I cannot — what is happening?” Zane stammered, his voice box glitching heavily.

“I can downgrade tech,” Scott said, laughing darkly. “ _ You’re tech _ .”

“Scott, this isn’t you!” Jay attempted. “You’re better than this!”

“ _ I don’t want to be better than this _ !” he yelled. He threw Jay to the side, completely knocking the boy unconscious.

With Zane unable to even move, Unagami was about to die.

“I never meant to hurt you,” he said.

“Hurt doesn’t care about intention.”

In what was either the best or the worst timing ever, the boy from before — Chat — waltzed over to them casually. “You were right, Captain Clockwork!” he exclaimed loudly. “Old technology  _ is _ better! I’m just surprised that you didn’t notice I took your phone!” he said, waving around an old flip phone.

“What?” Scott — Captain Clockwork? — gasped, opening his fist. “No you didn’t, it’s right here?”

But then it wasn’t. Ladybug’s yo-yo string wrapped around it, and yanked it hard.

“ _ No _ !”

Ladybug snapped the phone in half easily. “No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!” she declared, catching the butterfly — Unagami wasn’t even going to ask why a butterfly had come out of Scott’s phone — easily. “Gotcha!” she set the butterfly free, and in a stark contrast to the previous shade of sickly purple it had been, it was now a pure white. “Bye bye, little butterfly.”

Scott fell to the ground, his new avatar — or whatever it was — dropping.

“Miraculous ladybug!” Ladybug shouted, throwing the fake phone into the air. A swarm of butterflies took over, somehow undoing all the damages that Scott had caused.

Honestly, it was far from the strangest thing Unagami had experienced recently.

———

Scott came to on the sidewalk. Hadn’t he just been near some big metal tower thing? And how had he blacked out in the first place? What the hell?

“What… what  _ happened _ ?” he groaned, unable to get to his feet. 

Zane — when had  _ Zane _ gotten here? — said something in what sounded like another language.

“Everything’s alright now, sir!” a girl dressed as what looked something like a superhero said, smiling gently at him. “You don’t know what an akuma is, do you?”

Again, Zane repeated her question, this time looking at him. Ah, he was the translator.

“No…?”

Her and a boy in a leather catsuit shared a look.

“A bad man called Hawk Moth took advantage of you,” the boy explained, reaching out a hand and helping Scott to his feet. “You were feeling some kind of negative emotion, and he used that to turn you into a supervillain.”

A supervillain? What kind of negative emotion could he have been — 

He spotted Unagami, who was staring at him in nothing short of terror from against the brick wall of a building. Oh yeah.

“What did I  _ do _ ?” 

“Nothing that couldn’t be undone,” the girl assured. “All property damages have been magically repaired, so you don’t have to worry!”

“It’s not the property damages I’m worried about,” Scott muttered, looking at Unagami, guilty all but stabbing him through the heart. The kid looked  _ traumatized _ .

But before anyone could say anything else, Unagami  _ ran _ . Jay immediately went after him, but the others stayed behind.

Scott knew that if he went, he would only make things worse. “Please, just… what did I actually  _ do _ ?”

By the end of the recap, Scott had sunk back to the ground.

There wasn’t really a way to fix this, was there?


	3. Day 8: Where Did Everybody Go?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay thinks about all the shit that went down recently. Not that it actually did go down. It's all just nightmares that refuse to leave him alone.  
> Prompt: Isolation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes place post-Skybound!  
> Trigger Warnings: PTSD, anxiety, mentioned beating, mentioned non-con marriage, mentioned death, mentioned possession, nightmares

Jay remembered being alone.

He remembered losing his friends, one by one. He had been the only one left.

But he didn’t really have the right to still be upset about it. It hadn’t even really happened; it wasn’t even  _ real _ . And even if it  _ had _ , Nya had gotten it worse. She’d been kidnapped, married, possessed, and killed.

Jay had just been  _ alone _ . Sure, he’d been briefly kidnapped, but it hadn’t been  _ that _ bad. He’d endured the beatings, the work, the anxiety. Nya had gotten it way worse.

Jay was just being whiny.

He was fine, really.

Nightmares weren’t a  _ real  _ problem, really, so he didn’t need to tell the others (who really seemed to enjoy asking) what was wrong. Because nothing  _ was  _ wrong.

He was just reminiscing about something that had never been in the first place. So what if the rocking of the Bounty was suddenly making him violently ill, and the first time he’d been hit in training, he’d dropped to the floor, cowering, all but ready to beg? It was just… symptoms of his nightmares.

The phantom pains in his eye were no problem at all, and the panic of being  _ alone _ again was enough to have him following his friends around at any given moment.

Cole had laughed and said he was acting like a lost puppy.

Jay would gladly be a lost puppy if it meant he wouldn’t be alone.

Or, if coincidentally, an evil djin happened to escape from a teapot and try to take revenge on them — not that he was constantly anxious about that happening, nope, not at all — then at least nobody would be alone with that  _ bastard _ .

Not that Jay would know.

It had just been a bad dream.

Er, a series of bad dreams.

There was no good reason for him to fear those dreams coming true. That was stupid and childish. It was absolutely ridiculous, even.

He knew none of it had been real, because none of the others remembered it, and his parents wouldn’t have kept it a secret if he really  _ had _ been adopted, and he hadn’t gotten a letter from the mailman, either.

Which meant it wasn’t true.

None of it had ever been true. So he could calm down around spiders, he could stop locking himself in the bathroom to have panic attacks, and he could stop feeling guilty about —  _ it had just been a nightmare _ . There wasn’t a nindroid locked in the lighthouse. Dr. Julien would have mentioned it. They would have known long before now if it had been real.

Jay was just… projecting, or something.

He wanted to be able to forget about it all.

There had never been a floating city in the sky, him and his friends had never been arrested, Tiger Widow Island probably didn’t even  _ exist _ .

His nightmares were nothing more than that. Nightmares.


	4. Day 12: I Think I've Broken Something

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole's mom comes back to him. The other ninja are skeptic.  
> Prompt: Broken Trust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: mentioned cult activity, mentioned death, manipulation

“...mom?” he whispered, afraid to say it any louder lest the illusion shatter.

“Shh, shh, it’s okay Beetle, you’re okay. You did good.”

“But aren’t you… dead?”

“That’s not what’s important, sweetie. What’s important is that I’m here, now, and I’m proud of you.”

Cole couldn’t even think of all the reasons why this shouldn’t be possible. He just started at her numbly, letting her wrap him in a hug.

“Mom,” he said again, his throat closing up and his eyes beginning to fill with tears. He buried his face against her shoulder. He never thought he’d see her again, but here she was, realer than anything else he’d ever felt.

The hug lasted for an eternity, and when they finally broke apart, Cole immediately found himself missing her touch.

“Am  _ I _ dead?” he asked, the possibility having not even occurred to him until now.

“No, no, we’re both alive, baby. We’re both alive.”

Both of them. Alive. His mom had died when he was seven… how was it  _ possible _ ?

“How?” 

“I don’t remember much, and what I do remember isn’t something I can tell you said,” she said, cupping his face affectionately. “Oh, Cole, I’ve missed you so much.”

“I’ve missed you too,” he said.

———

“Of course it’s her!” Cole cried, hurt seeping through his voice like poison.

The other ninja shared a look. “We’re not saying it’s  _ not _ her,” Zane said, gentle. “We simply think being cautious would be the best idea. Your mother has been dead for years, and suddenly she shows up again, claiming she never died in the first place?”

“That’s not what she said!” Cole said, crossing his arms stubbornly. “She doesn’t  _ remember _ what happened. But I’m telling you, I  _ remember _ my own  _ mother _ . It’s her.”

“We just want you to be careful,” Kai said, reaching out a hand to put on Cole’s shoulder.

Cole batted it away. “She called me Beetle,” he said. “She always used to call me Beetle. It’s  _ her _ . I don’t know why you don’t  _ trust _ me!”

“It’s not  _ you _ we don’t trust!” Jay cried. “What if this is some kind of trap?”

“ _ It’s not a trap _ !”

Frustrated, Cole stomped off to go find his mom.

Nobody had reacted this way when Kai had found  _ his  _ parents. Nobody had looked at Maya and determined she was some sort of  _ fraud _ . So why were they saying that  _ his  _ mom  _ was _ ?

It really was her, he was sure of it.

He knocked softly on the door before entering, unable to hold back a smile at seeing his mom.

She looked just as he remembered her.

She smiled back at him, opening her arms and letting him burrow into a hug.

And then, much to her concern, he started crying.

“What’s wrong, Beetle?” she asked, rubbing gentle circles on his back.

“They don’t believe it’s you,” Cole cried, pressing himself closer against Lilly. “But I know you are.”

“Of course I am,” she assured, gently combing her fingers through Cole’s hair as he continued to cry. “You know me, you know I wouldn’t lie to you. If they don’t trust you, then that’s on them.”

“Well… I dunno if they don’t  _ trust _ me…” he said. “They just want me to be careful. But it still hurts.”

“Nonsense,” Lilly said. “They clearly don’t trust you, and this is proof. If they did, they wouldn’t be trying to keep you away from your mother whom you haven’t seen in  _ years _ .”

Cole sniffled, wiping his face with his sleeve. She was right. Why didn’t the ninja trust him? He thought they were his friends…

“But it’s okay,” Lilly said, pulling him close again. “I’ve got you.”

And she did.

———

The arguments continued for several days.

The ninja refused to just fucking  _ trust  _ him, Lilly comforted Cole, and the cycle didn’t end.

Over and over again, every day.

Cole just didn’t understand why they were so quick to assume the worst. In almost any other scenario he could think of, they had been so welcoming. Kai and Nya’s parents hadn’t been doubted, and Zane’s father hadn’t been questioned either.

They’d even taken in Lloyd when he was still a little brat, uncaring of his attempted cruel nature. Sure, they hadn’t been particularly thrilled about it, but they’d still done it.

But because it was Cole’s mom, suddenly things were different?

_ Why _ ?

“They don’t deserve you,” his mom said, looking over him sadly. “You are the strongest, kindest, most amazing boy, Cole. My  _ son _ . And they treat you like so much less than that.”

Cole looked down, flustered. His dad had told him similar things before, but it was different coming from his mom. He hadn’t seen her in so long. Just knowing that she still loved him meant everything.

“I love you so much,” she promised.

“I love you too.”

———

“I want to take you somewhere,” Lilly said one day.

Cole looked up. “Where?” he asked.

“Somewhere special,” she said. “Oh, it’s the most  _ magical  _ place. I’d love for you to see it.”

“You would?”

“Of course, baby. We can go right now, if you want. I’d like to show it to you in the moonlight, first master it’s so pretty. Won’t you come see it with me?”

Cole smiled softly, trying to envision the type of place his mom might have been talking about. “I’d like that.”

And so they set off on their journey. 

Cole didn’t bother telling the others where he was going, knowing that they would only try to stop him or something. They needed to learn to stay out of his business.

If they couldn’t respect him, then they didn’t need to know the details that he would have once shared.

It took a long time to get to their destination. They left mid day, and only arrived as the sun finished setting.

It was a quaint little tower in the middle of nowhere, and his mom was right: it  _ did _ look beautiful. Vines crawled up the sides, various flowers blooming around the area. It was the kind of thing you’d see in a movie.

“Come inside with me,” his mom beckoned, the door swinging open easily. Cole followed her in, taking in the room. It was a simple set-up, with wooden floorboards and various furniture, tables filled with books and more. The only thing that seemed out of place was some sort of chalk pattern on the floor.

“What’s that?” he asked, frowning at it. It looked a little… cultish.

“I’m not sure,” Lily said, walking across the room and looking at an open book. “I’m certain it’s nothing.”

“Okay…” something about this was leaving Cole feeling… uneasy. He didn’t know what it was, but  _ something _ … something felt wrong.

“Maybe we should go,” he said, turning back towards the door. “I don’t wanna worry the guys.”

“Oh, those little friends of yours? The ones that don’t even trust you about your _own_ _mother_?” she asked, walking back to him and gently turning him back around, cupping his face in her hands. “Why should they matter to you?”

“Well I… I don’t know, I guess I can see why they’d be concerned…” he said, discomfort rising in him. Something was definitely wrong.

“What, you think I’m some sort of  _ monster  _ masquerading as your mom?” she asked, offense seeping through her voice.

“No! I didn’t say that!” Cole cried.

“Pity,” she hummed, her grip tightening slightly. “ _ You would have been right _ .”

With that, her form flickered, and suddenly Cole was staring instead at a mirror image of  _ himself _ , who smiled wickedly at him.

Cole jerked out of his mom’s — his —  _ its  _ — grip.

“You really  _ should _ learn not to trust what you see, Cole,” it said, his own voice mocking him. 

“But — you —  _ mom _ ?” he asked, backing up, his voice cracking slightly. No,  _ no _ , this couldn’t be happening. It couldn’t  _ not _ be her, he had been so  _ sure _ .

It backed him against the door, which he hadn’t even had time to notice that it had  _ locked _ . “Don’t worry,” it said, its form shifting again until it looked identical to Zane. “Plenty of people are unable to tell the difference between myself and who they see.” It shifted to Kai. “The heart convinces the mind, you know.”

“No…” Cole said, tears welling in his eyes. “You… who  _ are  _ you?”

“Doesn’t matter to you,” it said, shifting to Jay. “You’ll be too dead soon to need to know!”

It latched onto Cole, dragging him towards the center of the circle.

“Wait — what are you — no!” Cole cried, wrenching himself free and running for the door. It grabbed him.

“Why are you running, son?” his mom’s voice taunted. “Don’t you want to  _ see me again _ ?”

He froze, and it was enough for it to grab him again, bringing him back to the center of the room.

He struggled, but this time, its grip was firm.

“Don’t worry,” she said, smiling cruelly at him. “You’re going to help me change the world.”

And then came the pain.


	5. Day 15: Into the Unknown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In one of the few breaks between Morro possessing him, Lloyd has some time to think.  
> Prompt: Possession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: mentioned death, threats

Terrified didn’t even begin to cover Lloyd’s feelings. 

Morro was one step closer to freeing the Preeminent and taking over Ninjago, and Lloyd was nothing but a helpless little pawn in a game of chess he had never even signed up for.

He was hungry, exhausted, and scared.

His friends, from what Lloyd could tell, were doing just as badly. Cole was  _ dead _ . In a roundabout sort of way, it was Lloyd’s fault.

He was sure the others were doing just as badly, even if he couldn’t see it. He hated that he was the one causing their pain.

From nowhere, Morro appeared, rolling his eyes when he saw that Lloyd was awake and crying.

“Quiet down, brat,” he said, shuffling papers on the small table.

Just to spite him, Lloyd cried the slightest bit louder.

Morro slammed the papers down, turning back towards Lloyd and stomping to his cage.

“If I didn’t need you, I would kill you,” he hissed.

Lloyd wiped at his eyes, glaring at him. Plenty of people had tried to kill him before, and so far, none had been successful. Hopefully, Morro wouldn’t be the one to finally manage to do it.

“You won’t get away with this,” Lloyd settled on.

Morro laughed. “Yeah? Who’s gonna stop me?  _ You _ ? The pathetic little green ninja who couldn’t even stop me from  _ possessing you _ ? Or, what, those sad little friends of yours who would rather  _ die _ than hurt their  _ poor _ little brother’s body?”

“They’ll stop you!” he insisted.

“Not while I’m in  _ your _ body.”

He was right, and they both knew it. Lloyd could only hope that his friends would come to their senses.


	6. Day 17: I Did Not See That Coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While on the run from Ronin after being framed for a crime he didn't commit, Zane completely shuts down in a library. The few moments he has left are filled with a panic he cannot voice.  
> Prompt: Wrongfully Accused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes place during Skybound!  
> Trigger Warnings: none

Hacking into the library computers was easy. It was more than easy, even. Libraries didn’t exactly have strong security measures.

The cameras went down, and he and Lloyd went to find the book they needed.

Zane began reciting the passage about the Teapot of Tyrahn, which could entrap mortals. He wondered for a brief moment if he counted, but that hardly mattered right now. Right now they needed to focus on proving their innocence.

He continued on, just about to tell Lloyd how to defeat a djinn — when Pixal spoke up.

“Warning: an unknown presence is hacking into our system.” She sounded panicked.

“Can you isolate the source?” Zane asked. If he was being hacked, then—

“It’s coming from inside the building!”

Pixal disappeared.

What — no — what had this hacker  _ done  _ to her? 

He tried to warn Lloyd — but he couldn’t speak.

_ He couldn’t speak _ . 

First master, this was bad. This was very bad. 

And then, in place of Pixal — there was Ronin.

_ Ronin _ .

Zane tried to yell at him, to fight against the foreign code. But he couldn’t speak, and he couldn’t move. He couldn’t even relay his panic to Lloyd.

He was just standing there. Blank. Robotic. Like a machine.

He was a machine. And that made him dangerous.

“Look at that, Tin Can, I’m in your head!” Ronin said, laughing a little.

How  _ dare _ he? He had caused the ninja enough problems, but now to pull something like  _ this _ , again… 

He didn’t know what else he had been expecting. Ronin was the reason Zane had ever ended up in Chen’s clutches in the first place, he was the reason Morro had nearly one, and he was the reason for so much more than that.

And now here he was, targeting Zane. Again.

He hated this man with every inch of his being.

“What’s wrong? Why did you stop reading?” Lloyd asked.

Had Zane his voice, he would have demanded Lloyd run. Instead, he just stood there blankly, allowing Lloyd to get close. Too close. What if Ronin made him  _ hurt him _ ?

“If it’s any consolation, I didn’t want to fight you.”

Fucking bullshit. Zane and Ronin both knew what he was capable of, what he  _ was _ . That man was a monster, a soulless  _ bastard _ , and he wasn’t above fighting someone he claimed to care about.

Zane doubted he even saw him as more than a robot.

“And now technically, I don’t,” Ronin continued. “Goodnight, good buddy.”

Wait — no —  _ no no no don’t shut down, he couldn’t shut down, he couldn’t leave Lloyd alone with no idea what to expect, stop it  _ —  _ no _ —!

Everything went horribly blank.


	7. Day 18: Panic! At The Disco

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Wu gets lost in time, the ninja have to come up with a game plan. Lloyd hates it.  
> Prompt: Panic Attack

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: panic atack

Lloyd covered his mouth, trying to stifle his sobs. Dammit, he needed to stop, he didn’t want anybody to hear him.

He was being a baby about all this.

With Wu missing, it only made sense that this was the course of action they’d decided on. The idea of being separated from his family, on the other hand, was  _ painful _ .

He didn’t want to be alone. He didn’t want them to leave.

The people he loved always left.

But this was something totally different! It wasn’t like they’d be apart  _ forever _ . They needed to do this, it made perfect sense.

So there was no reason to be having a melt-down over it, alone, in his room.

Part of him wanted someone to find him in here and reassure him. But the other part of him, the more sensible part, knew that he couldn’t be seen as weak.

He was the leader. He was in charge. He was the almighty green ninja.

He wished Cole was still the leader. He had made a much better one, strong and sturdy and smart and everything a leader  _ should _ be. Lloyd wasn’t much of that.

He pulled his sleeves over his hands, covering his face as he cried.

He knew it wasn’t sensible to be scared that when everyone left  _ they would forget about him they would stop caring he wouldn’t hear from them for such a long time _ — it was all just stupid fear.

Still, his breathing refused to calm, and tears continued to pour from his eyes. 

He was such a baby, he was such a baby, he was such a stupid little baby.

He couldn’t breathe. He was going to vomit. He just wanted it all to stop, oh god,  _ stop, why wouldn’t it stop? _

All of his friends were going to forget him and if they forgot him then maybe they’d never even cared in the first place and why  _ would _ they have cared, he was only good for being the green ninja, they only cared about the title, without it he’d be nothing, he was nothing, nobody cared, not his mom not Wu not the ninja —

He was spiralling. He was spiralling  _ really _ bad. But he couldn’t stop it.

_ Nobody cared about him he was worthless he couldn’t handle this he just wanted his uncle back why was there so much pressure on him why him why him why him? _

He sobbed, curling in on himself.

Some leader he was


	8. Day 19: Broken Hearts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dareth has to watch the kids fall apart after Zane dies. It breaks his heart. He just wants to help, but Kai isn't having it.  
> Prompt: Mourning Loved Ones

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: mentioned death, implied/mentioned underage drinking

“ _ Why do you even care _ ?” Kai screamed. “You’re just some grownass adult hanging around a bunch of teenagers and pretending that we  _ want _ to be around you — acting like we’re friends! Acting like we want you here! You hang around some superpowered superhero  _ kids _ because we humor you! You want to feel  _ special _ ! Well  _ guess what _ , Dareth! You’re not special! You’re just a pathetic middle aged man who missed out on having a proper childhood and doesn’t know how to act like an  _ adult  _ because of it!”

“ _ Kai _ , stop it!” Nya demanded, prying the bottle from Kai’s hands. His grip on it was loose enough that it would have fallen and shattered any second now, anyway.

Dareth wanted to argue, in that moment. Wanted to yell, wanted to say that he saw these kids as his own sometimes, thought of himself as something akin to their uncle. Wanted to say that he cared about them more than they would ever know, and all he really wanted was to be there for them. He was just trying to help. Kai was slipping, and they all knew it. It wasn’t healthy. He’d needed to step in.

This time, he kept his mouth shut. Arguing would get him nowhere. For once, he had to be the adult. He had to be mature, he couldn’t say everything he wanted to.

The kids were feeling their own grief, they didn’t need him whining on top of that. Because he was the adult, and adults didn’t make bad situations worse by adding to the shitshow.

“Listen,” he said, trying his best to keep his cool. “I know you’re upset—”

“ _ Upset? _ ” Kai asked, laughing near-hysterically. “Zane is dead! He fucking — he fucking  _ exploded _ all over the goddamn place, and now he’s  _ gone _ !”

Dareth was well aware.

He remembered that day, weeks ago, now. He remembered their faces, their heartbreak. He remembered the feeling of his own heart dropping. He’d never felt so sick in his life.

“I  _ know _ —”

“You weren’t there!  _ You weren’t there! _ You didn’t have to watch him  _ die _ !” Kai screamed. 

“That’s  _ enough _ !” Nya demanded, all but physically restraining Kai, now. Tears continued to pour from Kai’s eyes even as he continued to scream.

“Kai, you need to take a breath, you need to calm down—”

“Calm down?” Kai asked, laughing bitterly. “Well it  _ certainly _ doesn’t help to have  _ you _ around! You’re nothing but a clumsy, worthless, piece of shit, and you know why we let you stay around for so long? Because we felt  _ bad _ for you! That’s it! No other reason! We don’t care!  _ I don’t care! I never cared! _ ”

Dareth could feel tears building up in his own eyes, which he quickly wiped away. Kai was right, on some level. He was a full grown adult hanging around a bunch of teenagers trying to act like he had some place with them. Trying to act like he had the right to call himself a ninja, trying to pretend that they cared about him like he did.

He knew they’d been humoring him.

He knew Kai was just hurt, traumatized, grieving.

But not lying.

“I’m sorry for bothering you,” he finally said. If they didn’t want him here, if they made it  _ perfectly clear _ that he shouldn’t be around them, then he wouldn’t. He would give them their space and leave them alone. No matter how badly he just wanted to help. He headed for the door, only turning back to say one final goodbye. “And I’m sorry for your loss.”


	9. Day 21: I Don't Feel So Well

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the midst of battle, Jay takes a hit. This would be fine, if Nya had a way to get him out of here.  
> Alternate Prompt: Carry/Support

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: injuries, implied death

“I’ve got you,” Nya said, helping a barely-conscious Jay out of the line of fire. Shit, he wasn’t doing well, but she was in no shape to carry him. 

Jay slumped against her, and Nya adjusted him at her side, all but begging him to stay awake. 

“We’re almost there, come on…” she said, looking up for the Bounty desperately. Pix had said it was on the way, but they needed it  _ now _ .

Jay’s voice was sluggish. “Hurts…”

“Stay awake, love,” she insisted.

His knees gave out, and he crumpled to the ground. Nya crouched over him, dropping frantically. 

“Jay?” No answer. “ _ Jay? _ ” He didn’t respond. Oh fuck fuck fuck, that was always bad. She shook him, cursing when it barely provoked a reaction. He needed to wake  _ up _ .

Thinking quick, she summoned her powers and sprayed him with cold water across the face.

He spluttered. “Why’d you do that?”

“You’ve  _ got _ to stay awake,” she explained gently. “We’re almost there, you can make it.”

“No…” he groaned, as if she was trying to drag him out of bed. “It  _ hurts _ …”

“I know it does,” she said, cringing as Jay cried out. “We’re almost there.”

“I can’t move,” he whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut. “I can’t…”

They were too far away. They’d never make it. And if someone decided to attack them… they were sitting ducks.

“Come  _ on _ , Pix,” Nya hissed into her comm. The only response she was given was static.

Jay opened his eyes, filled with tears. He took Nya’s hand in his weakly.

“I love you,” he said, a pained smile on his face.

“I love you too,” Nya said, squeezing his hand in hers. “Pix is almost here. We’re gonna be fine.”

Jay shook his head. “It doesn’t hurt so bad anymore.”

What did he…?  _ No _ . No no no, absolutely not.

“Jason Walker, you shut the hell up,” she demanded. He was going to be  _ fine _ .

He just gasped out a quiet sob, all but throwing himself around her.

Nya held him close, wrapping her arms around him and burying her face against his shoulder. “I love you,” she said again, wishing she had said it a thousand times more. “I love you so much.”

Jay didn’t respond.


	10. Day 23: What's a Whumpee Gotta Do To Get Some Sleep Around Here?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lloyd pushes himself too hard. Kai isn't standing for it.  
> Prompt: exhaustion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: none

Lloyd went over the move again, moving silently across the floor. 

Dammit.

It was still wrong.

He set up to do it again, careful to keep quiet. He didn’t want to wake anybody up, after all.

Everyone else had been asleep for hours. But Lloyd, he couldn’t sleep. He was the leader, he had to make sure everything was perfect, he had to make sure  _ he _ was perfect. 

And he was definitely not perfect.

He huffed as he failed at the move again.

That was fine, he would just try again.

And again.

And again.

He was so tired. But he couldn’t sleep, not until he was better. He had to be better.

Again and again and again and again. Still not perfect. Still a failure.

He could be better. He  _ could _ . He knew he could. He had to be. Even if it took him a week, he would get this move done.

He slipped, falling to the ground with a thud. Shit.

He couldn’t will himself to get up for a minute. He was so tired. He just wanted to stay right here and never get up again. He wanted to sleep.

But he couldn’t. Not until it was perfect.

He forced himself up and did it again.

“Lloyd?”

He jumped, whipping around. There, standing in the doorway sleepily, was Kai.

“What are you doing awake?” He looked concerned.

“Oh, I… couldn’t sleep. Wasn’t tired,” he said, lying through his teeth. He’d never even gone to bed.

Kai looked at him for a long moment, frowning. “Are you sure? You Cause it seems a little deeper than that.”

“It’s not!”

Kai sighed, pushing away from the doorway and walking over to him, looking him dead in the eyes. “You look exhausted.”

Lloyd almost wanted to admit that he was. But that would be admitting weakness, and he was anything but weak. He was the green ninja. He was supposed to be their strong leader. He wasn’t about to let  _ exhaustion _ get in the way of that.

At Lloyd’s lack of an answer, Kai continued. “Come on bud, we’re going back to bed.”

“No, I’m not done!” Lloyd protested.

Kai looked unimpressed. “You’re not going to get anything else done tonight. How many times have you done that move?”

Lloyd looked down, mumbling that he’d done it at least a hundred times in the past hour. Kai put his hands on his shoulders.

“Lloyd. Bro. We’re going to bed.”

Lloyd tried to protest again, but couldn’t find it in him. He let Kai drag him along, his eyes slipping closed of their own accord as they walked. Kai gently guided him along, and before he knew it, he was falling into a nice soft bed. That felt nice.

Kai flopped onto the mattress beside him.

“What are you doing?” Lloyd asked, barely coherent.

“ _ Someone’s _ gotta make sure you don’t get up again. Besides, looks like my baby bro could use some cuddles,” Kai said, letting his brother snuggle up beside him.

Lloyd smiled contentedly, letting himself fall into a blissful sleep. He could worry about training tomorrow.


	11. Day 25: I Think I'll Just Collapse Right Here, Thanks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the defeat of Morro and the Preeminent, Lloyd is just _tired_.  
> Prompt: Blurred Vision

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: none

The Preeminent was finally gone. Nya had unlocked her true potential, she’d saved the day. Morro was defeated, the ghosts were taken care of, and the ninja were back at Steep Wisdom.

With the Bounty having crashed, there weren’t many other places to go.

Lloyd was absolutely  _ exhausted _ . The past few weeks may as well have been the most draining of his life. Morro had taken every drop of energy he’d had to offer, and now, Lloyd could barely even stand on his own.

Poor Zane was having to practically hold him up. He  _ certainly  _ couldn’t stand on his own.

He knew. He had tried. He’d ended up falling right through Cole.

He was so. Tired. He just wanted to nap for a year.

Zane had to let go of him for a moment, and Lloyd leaned against the wall to stay standing upright.

He tried to take a step on his own, heading for the nearest sleepable surface (in this case, a couch), but immediately stumbled, nearly crumpling to the floor.

Nya and Kai rushed to help him up.

“Hey, hey, take it easy,” Nya said. “Come on.”

They helped him to the couch, shooing Jay off of it, and as he laid down, Lloyd stared numbly at the ceiling through blurry vision. The world always got blurry when he was this tired. His eyes hurt. He squeezed them shut, then opened them again. It only sort of helped.

Kai and Nya came back with multiple pillows and blankets, from where he didn’t know, tucking him in.

He didn’t protest, just let it happen, burying his face against the pillow now underneath him. It was so  _ soft _ . It was the softest thing he’d felt in such a long time.

“Get some rest, Lloyd,” he heard faintly. “You need it.”


	12. Day 26: If You Thought The Head Trauma Was Bad...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cole is scared to come out to his dad. Kai is there for him.  
> Alternate Prompt: Comfort

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warnings: none

“I’m freaking out,” Cole said, pacing back and forth anxiously. “I’m really really freaking out.”

“Hey, hey,” Kai said, placing a hand on Cole’s shoulder and stopping him in his tracks. “Take a deep breath. It will be fine.”

“What if he hates me? He reacted badly  _ enough _ when I told him about being a ninja, but when I tell him I’m  _ bi _ ? Oh god, I’m freaking my fuck.”

“Cole,” Kai said, placing his other hand on Cole’s other shoulder so he was staring him dead in the eyes. “You can do this. He  _ won’t  _ hate you.”

“ _ Ugh _ , I just… I don’t want him to see me as…”

“I know,” Kai said, pulling Cole into a loose embrace. “I know. He won’t. And if for some reason he does, I’ve always got my sword.”

“Kai.”

“I’m serious.”

“ _ Kai _ ,” Cole scolded, but Kai could still hear his smile.

“You’ve got this,” Kai said again, giving Cole a quick peck on the cheek as he pulled out of the hug.

Cole took a deep breath. “You’re right. Yeah. I’ll just… I’ll just tell him. It will be great.”

“Hell yeah it will! And again, sword.”

Cole laughed. “You’re not stabbing my dad.”

“I will if he’s a douche.”

“He’s  _ not _ .”

“Then you have nothing to worry about!”   
Cole opened his mouth to argue, but found that he had nothing to say against it. He sighed. “Fair point.”


	13. Day 28: Such Wow. Many Normal. Very Oops.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jay just wanted his meatball. Instead, he got to find out exactly how much force it takes to stab a blunt fork through a hand.  
> Prompt: Accidents

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes place in season 8!  
> Trigger Warnings: blood, vomiting, stabbing

Things were… going. They were slowly but surely figuring out where the third oni mask might have been, and, uh… okay, Jay was gonna be honest, he hadn’t really been listening beyond that.

In his defense, this  _ stupid fucking meatball wouldn’t just stay still! _ Stupid storm, making the ship rock back and forth like this. He just wanted his meatball! Was that too much to ask? He’d been stabbing at the same one for at  _ least  _ the last few minutes.

Sure, he could have picked it up with his hand, but now it was  _ personal. _ The storm was  _ challenging  _ him, and he intended to win. 

Stupid little thing, why couldn’t it just stay  _ still _ ?

“Come  _ here _ you little sucker!” Jay demanded, stabbing his fork over it triumphantly.

Yes.  _ Yes _ , he’d done it, he’d won!

But then uh… Kai let out this exceptionally horrid scream.

It took Jay too long to figure out why he was screaming. He stared at him blankly for a moment, then very slowly, lowered his eyes.

He’d stabbed Kai’s hand. Not only that, but he’d stabbed the fork  _ all the way through _ .

His heart dropped.

He hadn’t thought he’d been  _ that  _ aggressive, but he must have been, the fork hadn’t even been that  _ sharp _ !

“Kai, oh shit, ohhh shit, I’m  _ so _ sorry, I didn’t mean to!” he rambled, panic beginning to rise. He’d stabbed it  _ all the way through _ . Blood was spreading over the table. Cole was covering the baby’s eyes, shushing and rocking him as he hurried from the room.

Jay’s meatball was all but forgotten.

Kai was just staring at his hand in wide-eyed, open-mouthed horror.

“Oh first master,  _ shit _ , shit shit shit, I’m sorry!” he said again, unsure of what to do.

“Get it out,” Kai whimpered, squeezing his eyes shut, in what Jay would guess was pain. “ _ Get it out! _ ”

“Let me,” Harumi said, hurrying to Kai’s side. “This is going to hurt, okay?”

Kai nodded, not daring to open his eyes.

Harumi all but ripped it out of his skin, and if Kai’s scream was anything to go by, it had been more than just a little painful.

Jay was pretty sure he was going to vomit. His stomach was rolling violently, and with the way things were going, it was only going to get worse.

Cole came back without the baby, but with a towel.

“Oh first master…” Cole mumbled, looking over the injury. “Fuck, okay, I’m going to wrap this, okay? We can get bandages later, right now we just need to stop the blood flow.”

There was  _ so much blood _ .

Kai was crying, still refusing to open his eyes.

“It hurts,” he whimpered, leaning against Cole as he gently took his hand.

“I know, just… just hold still,” Cole said, beginning to wrap the towel around the wound.

The blood spilled over the edge of the table and onto the floor, and Jay leaned over and threw up, only adding to the mess.

“We have to get him to a hospital,” Nya finally said, looking a little sick herself.

“ _ Now? _ ” Lloyd asked, glancing to the door with uncertainty.

Kai wailed into Cole’s shirt, probably in a pathetic attempt to muffle it.

“Is there anything I can do?” Jay asked frantically.

“Just leave,” Kai sobbed.

Jay had nothing to do but comply.


	14. Day 29: I Think I Need a Doctor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai keeps having nightmares. He doesn't know why.  
> Alternate Prompt: Memory Loss

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one takes place post-Skybound!  
> Trigger Warnings: mentioned death

_ Green. Green mush and everything was fuzzy.  _

_ He couldn’t see straight.  _

_ He tried to move, but exhaustion held him down. _

_ The world felt kind of like peanut butter. Thick, mushy air and too hard to get through, and he was too tired to keep trying, anyway. _

_ The world shifted around him, and he just floated through it, like a pool. A big swimming pool full of green peanut butter. _

_ The peanut butter went away, and he was left standing over his baby sister’s dead body. His baby sister in a wedding dress stained green. _

Like the peanut butter _ , his mind supplied. _

_ He’d never felt more numb. She couldn’t be leaving him, not so young. They were just kids, she had so much life left to live.  _

_ He didn’t have the strength to cry. _

_ He just covered his eyes, let Jay take the lead. He hadn’t been able to save his sister. He had failed, he had failed so so so horribly, this was all his fault. He couldn’t protect her. _

Kai woke with a start.

This was the third time he’d had this nightmare. It was always the same. Green, then Nya’s dead, lifeless body. He shuddered just thinking about it.

He knew what it meant, of course — he was scared of losing Nya. He always had been. As kids, he’d done  _ everything _ to protect her, he’d always been scared for her safety. But what had brought this on  _ now _ ? Arguably, they were both more prepared than ever to keep themselves safe and alive.

Although, it wasn’t like being ninja didn’t bring on a whole new set of problems. Death by murder instead of starvation was still death.

He felt nauseous at the thought.

Nya’s blooming powers must have been what was bringing this on. There was no other reason he could think of.

_ “The only thing I wish, is for you to take me back!” _

He groaned quietly, rubbing his temple. He had a headache, all of a sudden.

_ “I wish you to take me back. Back to when things were good.” _

_ Selfish, he was so selfish, it was such a stupid wish, made for nothing other than himeslf, he could have done something, anything different, he could have been there, he could have said no, he could have _ —

Fuck, this migraine was killing him.

_ “Just wish it all away and be done with it all.” _

What the hell was this? It was such a vivid… memory? But it had never happened, he was sure he would recall something so…  ~~ terrifying ~~ odd.

_ “Okay! Okay, make them stop! I wish for all of it to go away!” _

It must have just been a bad dream.

**Author's Note:**

> Come find me at ninja-go-to-therapy on tumblr!


End file.
